Pertamina looks for partners to bid for Makassar Straits blocks

State oil and gas company Pertamina is looking for foreign partners to bid for the oil and gas blocks in Makassar Straits.

Pertamina's president Baihaki Hakim however refused to name the foreign companies Pertamina was seeking to form partnership in bidding for the Makassar Straits blocks.

"We are interested in all the Makassar Straits blocks and are now looking for partners to jointly bid for the blocks," Baihaki told Petromindo.Com prior to a meeting with the House of Representatives VIII, which oversees among others mines and energy affairs.

Makassar Straits is currently the favorite area for oil and gas investors after Unocal Indonesia Company, a subsidiary of American energy firm Unocal Corp, found a significant oil and gas resources in the deep water of the area.

The ministry of energy and mineral resources, which recently took over the tendering process for the country's oil and gas resources from Pertamina, has said it would soon invite bidders for the development of six blocks in Makassar Straits.

The six blocks are Taritip, which covers about 3,180 square kilometers, Jangeru (about 3,375 square kilometers, Tanjung Aru (about 3,460 square kilometers, Donggala (about 3,120 square kilometers), Popodi (about 6,460 square kilometers) and Papalang (about 8,050 square kilometers).

Exploration director at the ministry Kardaya earlier said Pertamina initially wanted to obtain some of the blocks without a bidding process but the government rejected the intention, ordering the state company to take part in open bidding if it is interested in the blocks.

Kardaya said the government would no give any special treatment to any tender participants, including Pertamina, in the bidding. (Epin)